I was a professional dominatrix, escort, phone sex worker and porn performer for over 14 years, and enjoy writing/speaking about my experiences from a sex critical perspective. Now, I stay active in sex work rights activism, both as an ex-worker and currently as a journalist signal boosting marginalized voices. 

While my experiences in sex work were not terribly dangerous, it was also not particularly glamorous. For me, sex work was a job, one that wore on my body in ways different and yet similar to the ways my body was injured from standing for hours at a retail job or hunched over a desk staring at a screen. I had clients I adored, some of whom remain friends even now, but I also had clients that made me feel uncomfortable and even threatened. I think it's important to acknowledge the complexities of sex work, even while fighting for the rights of those partaking in it. Sex workers are uniquely positioned to help in the fight against human trafficking, but only if the stigma that stifles us is lifted.